The Classics Club

One of my goals for this fall (and winter, because, really, let’s not kid ourselves) is to make a list of my (ridiculous number of) books and try to put a schedule together to read the unread ones.

So naturally, I’m sidetracking myself by joining the Classics Club. And I love a full bandwagon, so maybe you could join too?

Here’s the idea: Make a list of at least fifty classic books you’d like to read, and then commit to reading them in five years, at most. More than fifty books? Great! Your classics are all sci-fi/nineteenth-century/YA/poetry? Go right ahead and list them (but seriously. YA? Really?).

My list, as you’ll see, is rather a smorgasbord. I’m trying to fill gaps in my education (and, you know, try to stomach a few things from the eighteenth century) and refresh my memory and remedy my shocking lack of under-the-belt sci-fi classics. You’ll also notice that there’s nary a sixteenth- or seventeenth-century work to be found on my list, because I spent five years in grad school chilling with my pals Shakespeare, Spenser, Donne, Middleton, Cavendish, Milton, Marvell, Jonson, and Lanyer. I feel like we can stay in touch via Facebook for at least a few more years.

Start Date: September 13, 2013

End Date: September 12, 2018

Here’s my list o’ 51. I did not alphabetize it. Please still hang out with me.

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11 thoughts on “The Classics Club”

Wow! That’s some list! Good luck with The Tales of Genji, it becomes very repetitive after awhile. All it’s about is a guy sneaking in and seducing one Japanese maiden after another, or maybe they were wives. It was awhile back. I didn’t make it through. I have read 26 of your list, but I see that I have read more of the older books than the newer ones. I’m not sure if I want to make a list like that or not! Mine seems to change from day to day as I hear of different books.

Thanks, Kay! I got the new edition of the Tale of Genji, which is supposed to be great. I like this list because it gives me something to focus on besides my hundreds-long TR list, and I feel as if I’m filling in gaps in my education at the same time.

Great list with the emphasis on 20th C. books. Tool often classic book lists are overloaded with 19th C selections. ( mine included). S.Undset isn’t on many lists and I must say this book was a great read. It really surprised me. I hope to keep up with your reviews and might borrow some of your 2oth C reading suggestions for my next CB list!